


A Slow Process

by DrawingsAndDreams



Category: Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, idk how tags work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-23 01:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14321898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrawingsAndDreams/pseuds/DrawingsAndDreams
Summary: A Canon Divergence AU. What if Rapunzel went to check up on Varian after the blizzard? How would this change events for the future? Most importantly, will this save their friendship?(Bad summary, pretty good story(Hopefully))





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Dreams here. This is my first fic for this series and as a writer on AO3 in general, so I hope you enjoy!

Varian finally made it back to his home, after what seemed like two unreasonably long treks. He shivered as he shut the door with difficulty, the wind blowing in his face. He felt grateful for the warmth of his home, but it felt eerie. No, don’t think of that. Now was the time to assess and come up with a good and solid plan. Ok. The princess couldn't help right now, but that was fine. He could be the hero on his own, with alchemy! That would be sure to work. He tried to smile as he rambled his way up the stairs to his room and lab,

“Dad! The princess said that she couldn’t help right now, but I’m sure…” He turned around, and let out an audible gasp. His eyes widened, and he was physically and emotionally taken aback.

In the middle of the room, were the black and strange rocks that had been destroying his village for days. Yet, they couldn’t be the black rocks, since they were an amber color. It stretched out cruelly, the bottom looking like roots from some sick tree. The color and composition didn’t matter though, what mattered was that his dad was trapped in the substance that he had created. Varian felt himself stagger over to the rocks, tears threatening to pour from his eyes. He felt his legs collapse from underneath him as he began to sob, unable to stop the onslaught of emotions, crashing over him.

No. No. It couldn’t be. He had calculated everything, it shouldn’t have done this!

Yet, it had, and that was something Varian couldn’t have hypothesized. He started to pound his fists on the rocks, hoping that this was all just another harmless mistake. Hoping that he’d free his father and finally see the pride in his eyes. That seemed as unlikely as ever now though. Looking up at his father, seeing the pain and agony that contorted his face. It broke Varian down even more. This was his fault. It was all his. No, wait. It wasn’t. He had calculated this perfectly. He couldn’t be at fault. No, it was the royal family’s fault, especially Rapunzel’s. She had betrayed him, leaving his father to be crystallized.

~~_**But it wasn’t Rapunzel’s compound solution that entrapped his father, was it?** _ ~~

No matter. He shakily looked up at his father again, wiping away the tears. He clutched his winter cloak and stared darkly at his amber crystal that was currently holding his father captive.

~~**_Hadn’t he noticed the note his father was clutching? Is was most likely a will of sorts, disowning him as a son. It was yet another one of his mistakes._ ** ~~

He clutched his gloved hand and growled out, his voice hoarse and rough, “They will pay…” Varian looked down. He had to get to work. His father needed to be freed. Once that was completed, he could get onto more complicated issues.

~~_**Like how much of a mistake he was. He messed things up, more than constantly. This was the kicker though.** _ ~~

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Varian felt soft fur tickling his nose. He turned over, groaning at the suddenness of being woken up. As he did so, he promptly fell out of his chair and let out a squeak of surprise. He looked up from his awkward position on the floor, his limbs tangled with the chair he was sitting on. On top of his desk, was Rudiger. Rudiger jumped down from his spot, chattering nonsense as he jumped onto Varian’s shoulder. Varian sighed and pet Rudiger’s fur absentmindedly. He must’ve crashed again. He got up and rubbed at his eyes, glancing around the room. Chemical compounds littered the desk, and there was a sheet over the amber. He couldn't work with his father like that. It just felt..wrong. His stomach growled, interrupting his thoughts. Right. Food. They ran out a while ago. His dad was supposed to shop for more before he…

~~_**Got trapped by yet another one of Varian’s stupid mistakes. What a burden he was. Now his dad was probably dead.** _ ~~

No. Push that thought away. It was the princess’ fault anyways. She didn’t help him during his time of need. She betrayed him above everything else. She deserved to be shown that she was wrong.

**_~~Yeah. Keep telling yourself that. Murderer. They all know the truth.~~ _ **

Varian was snapped away from his thoughts when he felt Rudiger brush against his cheek. Only then did he realize he was crying. God. What was wrong with him? He wiped away the tears with a gloved hand and mumbled, “It’s fine Rudiger...I just..was thinking about some stuff.” The loyal raccoon placed a paw on Varian’s face, and Varian swore that he could see worry in his eyes. That was a stupid thought though. Rudiger didn’t care about him..it was mostly a food fondness. Yeah. He had to stand up and prove himself anyways.

He got up, his limbs aching from the lack of sleep and the awkward position on his desk. He pet Rudiger again, and grabbed the chair, setting it up right. Now was the time to go get some food, he reminded himself. He also needed more equipment, since most of it was worn out. He sighed and grabbed a satchel, holding it open for Rudiger to jump in. Rudiger did so happily, letting out a joyful chatter. Varian smiled slightly, and looked at the staff he created. Did he really want to use it? Maybe later. Besides, it wasn’t snowing treacherously like before. He had nearly gotten frostbite last time. He made his way down the stairs and outside.

Varian took a look around his village. It had an air of isolation to it. The rest of the villagers had evacuated by now, except for him. Great. Now he had to trek the the village surrounding the castle. That would be so fantastic! Not. He started to tramp his way off to the far away village around the castle.

As Varian was trekking around, he realized how prominent the rocks were at this point. He didn’t really notice before, even though they were piercing through his house. He’d get rid of that though. After all, he didn’t break his promises.

~~_**Unlike someone else. But then again, it was his fault in the first place, like always.** _ ~~

After what seemed to be a lifetime, he finally made it to the village. He kept his head down, after all, he was infamous for his inventions and talk of alchemy. The young alchemist continued to wander around the marketplace, until he stopped at a stand that was selling food and supplies. Score! Now he would only have to stop at one store today! He fumbled with the money that was in his bag, and he walked up to the vendor. He grabbed a few things, and then stepped up to pay them. As he walked, he picked up on some of the gossip. It seemed like a mysterious man had attacked the princess, according to the royal announcer. Whoever that was, probably was an idiot.

He was getting sidetracked again. He needed to stop doing that and focus on the task at hand. He needed to free his father. Ok Varian, keep calm. He gulped as he put the money on the table in front of the vendor. The vendor gave him a strange look. Oh no.

“Hey...aren’t you that guy who attacked the princess?” The vendor asked aggressively. The question was obviously rhetorical, and Varian felt a spike of fear and rage in his system.

“Um..what?” He chuckled nervously, “No. You must be confusing me for somebody else..I..I didn’t attack her, I just went to her to ask for some help!” Varian glared at the ignorant man. What did he know anyways?

He knew that people were looking at this point, but he didn’t care. He heard the mumbled and soft whispering lull over him,

_“That’s him! He attacked the princess.”_   
_“What? That couldn’t be. A scrawny wimp like him?”_   
_“I’m telling you, he nearly blew up the whole village of Old Corona at one point!”_   
_“I did hear that he was a wizard...but if he did attack the princess, that’s treason!”_

Varian grit his teeth at the sheer blindness around him. He grabbed his stuff and was just about to leave when a hand grabbed at his wrist. He yelped in surprise, starting to feel anxiety and panic sink in. He felt his arm being tugged, and what felt like nearly torn off, as some random man yelled in his face.

“Worthless scum! We should execute you for treason!” A hysterical man yelled. Onlookers started to jeer at the confused alchemist as he tried to free himself from the small crowd that was forming. This wasn’t helping his anxiety at all. He needed to get away from the crude crowd that seemed to have a lust for his head on a platter.

The crowd seemed to be full of people just yelling, and it was all too much. He could barely breathe in the mass of body heat and hatred. Every time he tried to break loose he got pushed back into the mass, resulting in what would lead to bruises and infected scratches if he didn’t have the right supplies.

~~_**Scum!** _ ~~

~~_**Get the executioner!** _ ~~

~~_**Treacherous wizard!** _ ~~

~~_**Mistake!** _ ~~

At some point, Rudiger had climbed onto his shoulder. The loyal raccoon started to hiss at the crowd, causing a small distraction for Varian to escape. He pushed himself free, as he started to run frantically from the unrestrained crowd. By now, guards were coming to see what the commotion was about. He recognized the two that dragged him out of the castle.

~~_**The day he made the biggest mistake of his life. Maybe the crowd acknowledging this fact was his punishment.** _ ~~

He glanced back at the crowd, catching the eyes of one of the guards...Pete? Maybe. He couldn’t tell. He was too busy trying to run for his life while trying not to break down at the same time. As Varian made it to the bridge, he started to acknowledge his injuries. A twisted ankle, for starters. That was probably the most concerning injury, especially if he wanted to get home and work. He sighed and grabbed some sticks from the ground, and bandages that he always kept with him, He made a poor attempt of a splint for himself, but it was better than nothing. He sighed and stood, up, wincing at the rest of his injuries. He was lucky though, only coming off with scratches and bruises that would show for a few days.

~~_**It wasn’t like anyone wanted to see him anyways. Especially his so called friends. He deserved silent treatment though..** _ ~~

He felt Rudiger on his shoulder again, said raccoon rubbing against his cheek and chattering worriedly. He stroked his fur absentmindedly as he began the long way home. He really wish that he had brought his staff with him. No matter. He had gotten his supplies, even if there were a few..obstacles.

As he thought that,he tried to ignore the blood that poured out of his scratches. They weren’t deep, but they weren’t paper cuts either. Varian hated blood; It’s coppery smell and appearance disturbed him. He once again tried to paid no mind to it, trying not to let the tears in his eyes spill.

~~_**After all, crying about simple things like that doesn’t help his father get free, does it?** _ ~~

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Dreams here. Woah. People actually like this? Thanks for the kudos guys! I really appreciate it all! Anyways, onto the story!

Rapunzel looked out her window. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days, especially after that brutal blizzard hit. She was worried about a lot of things, even though she tried to be optimistic about the situations that she was constantly in. Her father had been acting strange lately, like he was hiding something. What made her even more confused, was the lanky alchemist that came in that harsh day. He seemed so desperate, but for what? Now that she thought about it, she probably should’ve went to Old Corona straight after the blizzard. It just completely slipped her mind, after worrying for her parents’ safety and such.

Rapunzel was snapped from her thoughts when she saw the hand wave across her face. Had she really been spacing out for that long? She looked up to see her best  
friend, Cassandra, staring at her worriedly.

“Hey Raps, you alright? You seemed to be spacing out there..” The sword wielding handmaiden asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Rapunzel gave a soft and reassuring smile in response, “Yeah. I’ve just been..thinking a lot.”

Cassandra didn’t seem convinced, sitting down next to her best friend, “Seriously though Raps, I’m worried. What’s on your mind?’

Rapunzel looked down and sighed, “It’s just that..I’m worried. I’m worried about what happened during the blizzard, my parents, and Varian.”

To that, Cassandra raised her eyebrows questioningly, “Varian? What about him?”

Rapunzel looked up at Cassandra frowning slightly, “Well, it’s just that the last time we saw him, he seemed so..desperate. I was thinking that we should probably check up on him. Just in case.”

Cassandra sighed, knowing her friend’s caring heart could lead to disaster at times, “Well..if it makes you feel better, I guess we could go check up on him..”

Rapunzel seemed to spring up almost immediately, brightening up with a smile, “Well, then, let’s get going!”  
Cassandra sighed at her best friends antics, when the door creaked open and Eugene’s head popped through, “Did somebody say adventure?” He cheekily grinned.

Rapunzel held a hand over her mouth as she laughed, while Cassandra just rolled her eyes and glared, “Were you listening in on us?” She huffed.

Eugene shrugged, “Hey, I gotta make sure that Rapunzel over here is safe. Oops, wait. Isn’t that your job?”

Cassandra took a step forward, “Do you really want to do this right now?”

Rapunzel stood in the middle, breaking up the fight as always, “Guys, guys. Not now. We’ve got to visit Varian! Remember?” She smiled at her friend and boyfriend, as to confirm it.

The two in question sighed like sulky toddlers, but nodded along with Rapunzel’s idea. As they did, Rapunzel grinned, and pretty much dragged them off towards their newest adventure. The only question was, how would they sneak out this time?

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cassandra held herself against the wall, hoping that the guards wouldn’t notice them inconspicuously taking a carriage. Unfortunately, there were two guards in front of her path right at this moment. Great. She quickly advised her friends to split up as she tried to think of ways to get around them. She picked up their conversation as she slunked past,

The lankier guard, Pete, yawned slightly, “Do we have to guard today?”

Stan shot a look at Pete, “Of course. We do this every day. You should be used to this by now, Pete.”

Pete shrugged nonchalantly, “Well..yeah. But after what happened yesterday, I thought that we would be given a break.”

Stan sighed, “That is true. Yesterday was...tiring.”

Pete nodded in agreement excitedly, his eyes lighting up like he was about to tell a story. Which he was, “I know! I can’t believe there was a riot and everything! And that kid...Varian? I think his name’s Varian, it’s just amazing that you can start a riot at age fourteen.”

Stan gave a sad smile, “Yeah. Poor kid though, that crowd was ruthless...Anyways, we should probably head to our next shift. I bet you you know what that is.”

Pete grinned hopefully, albeit a bit awkwardly, “Lunch?...”  
Stan laughed in return as him and Pete walked off. Well then. Cassandra learned something useful. How did the kid start a riot of all things? She always knew Varian could be..risky with some of his moves, but this? This was something. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Nigel was spreading rumors, but it probably wouldn’t have gone this far.

She shook her head firmly, she had to focus. She finally made her way to where the carriages were hidden, waiting for the rest to show. They eventually made it, Eugene being last, a predictable conclusion. She rolled her eyes and huffed,

“Can we go on and get this over with?”

Rapunzel frowned at the statement, but continued to hop onto the carriage anyways. With that, they were off.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rapunzel noted her surroundings, happy to get out of the castle yet again. She wasn’t exactly sure why her father didn’t trust her going out and visiting Old corona, but she played it off as him being overprotective. He hadn’t been able to see his daughter in eighteen years, after all. She looked at her close friend and boyfriend. The ride had been fairly silent so far, and for good reason.

What Rapunzel had begun to notice, was that things weren’t as perfect as she was led to believe in Old Corona. As they got closer and closer, she noticed the striking black rocks piercing through the land. It was hard to ignore them, that’s for sure. That was probably the reason for the silence on the ride. 

Rapunzel looked out on the terrain and sighed, “This..this wasn’t what I hoped to see.”

Eugene and Cassandra shot worried glances, Eugene being the one to try and comfort Rapunzel first, “I don’t think anyone would hope for this, blondie. Luckily, I think most people left.”

Cassandra shrugged in agreement, “Yeah. I’m sure that whatever this is, will be taken care of soon.”

Rapunzel glanced at Cassandra, “That’s the thing though! People keep on saying that they’ll do something, but so far, it seems like it’s just getting worse…”

Eugene wrapped an arm around Rapunzel, consoling her slightly, “Hey...is that the Rapunzel I know? Come on. We’re going to find this kid, and hope that everything goes for the best. Sound good?”

Rapunzel smiled, grateful for her boyfriend being there for her, “Thanks Eugene.”

She continued to look onwards, frowning at the surroundings, but was reassured by Eugene’s grip on her hand. She could do this. As they approached, she winced. The rocks were worse. They seemed to have completely destroyed and purged Varian’s village, except for his lone house. That worried her to death. She looked at her companions, noting their shocked expressions as well.

She took a deep breath as they got out of the carriage, hesitant to step on the terrain before them. She walk towards the house with the rest, Cassandra and her sword drawn besides her. Rapunzel opened the door hesitantly, wincing when it creaked. She looked inside.

The house was full of dust, and there was a giant spike that extended upstairs. That’s where Varian must’ve been. She looked at the deserted space, as she made her way upstairs with her group. As she walked, she stepped on a few pieces of paper. She picked one up, uncrumpling it. It read, ‘Plan 237’. Her eyebrows furrowed with worry and confusion.

After what seemed like an hour of stalling(even though it had only been a minute of anxious waiting) what she might see, they made their way to the top floor. If there had been an abundance of scattered paper on the stairs, there was even more on the floor. She heard the pattering of feet, and looked down. Rudiger! She picked him up, and he chattered happily. 

There was a sheet covering something huge in the room. Maybe that had something to do with Varian’s plan? Whatever it was, it worried and intimidated her for some reason. She looked back at her friends, who seemed to be exploring the endless trinkets Varian had. Speaking of the fourteen year old alchemist, where was he?

She ducked around the object in the room, and Rudiger jumped off her shoulder. In the shadows, she noticed a lone desk with a slumped figure over it. Varian! She rushed over besides him. Varian looked horrible, to say the least. He was pale, had large bags under his eyes, and was obviously overworking himself. It pained her to shake him awake, but she needed to anyways.

“Varian!” She whispered while she shook him gently, “Varian! It’s me! Rapunzel!”

With that, Varian’s eyes shot open and he woke up.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahah. Cliffhangers.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I really need a better updating schedule.

Varian hastily glanced around the room in clear panic. Who was there? Was it robbers? Was it his dad? Delirious thoughts swirled through his mind, due to overexhaustion and the panic of being woken up so suddenly. He jerked upwards suddenly, startling the blond female who held onto his shoulder. Wait. Blond female? Oh no. He observed his surroundings and saw the two other individuals in the room. The gears in his mind started to turn faster, as he fumbled out of his seat. 

  


Rapunzel seemed to catch the lanky fourteen year old just in time, before he fell to the ground in a usual fashion. Eugene and Cassandra looked over, hearing the dull thud of the chair hitting the floor. Varian looked up at the princess, a flurry of emotions overwhelming him.

  


What was he supposed to do? Why were they here? Were they going to take him in? Were they trying to help? How should he feel about this?

  


~~**_Guilt and hurt. That’s what he was supposed to feel, and was what he was feeling now. He knew that this was his punishment. He knew that he deserved it._ ** ~~

  


As he tried to steady himself up, he nearly fell over yet again due to his poorly wrapped twisted ankle. Oh. He forgot about that. Luckily, Rapunzel had a tight grip on his shoulder, and she helped him with his poor stance.

  


Rapunzel gave a soft smile, “You alright?” He wasn’t sure what aspect it was aimed at. Probably his twisted ankle.

  


~~**_Or maybe she did care about his feelings? Doubt it. Nobody cared._ ** ~~

  


Varian looked down, trying not to catch the princess’ gaze. It was something about the kindness in her eyes that made you want to pour out everything. “Yeah. I’m good.” Was Varian’s short clipped answer.

  


Rapunzel frowned, clearly not believing him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Cassandra butted in, “Cut it kid. You wouldn’t have caused a riot over nothing.” Rapunzel and Eugene stared at her with shocked expressions. Oops. She may have neglected to mention that.

  


Meanwhile, Varian visibly flinched, stammering out a hasty answer, “W...well...um. You see. That was just a small...misunderstanding?” He winced as his voice cracked.

  


Cassandra scoffed, “So, a misunderstanding leads to a riot? Come on. Do you know how long that takes to calm down?”

  


Eugene felt the need to give his opinion into the already full mix, “I rarely ever agree with the cold blooded cobra, but I’ve got to admit that I’m curious.”

  


He immediately got shot with two dirty looks. Varian was fidgeting, arms wrapped around himself like he was trying not to shatter. Rapunzel noted this, since she was practically holding the boy. “Now, let’s all calm down and think rationally here...” Rapunzel warned, her voice filled with worry.

  


Cassandra frowned once more, “Fine. But the kid still needs to explain himself.” The guard glared at the fidgeting boy with little to no sympathy.

  


Varian looked up, having time to recollect his wits. He took in a deep breath, and sighed. “The villagers attacked me. Somebody spread rumors that I apparently attacked the princess, but I didn’t. Let’s just say they didn’t appreciate it when I tried to get away.” He looked down coldly.

  


Cassandra raised her eyebrows at that, not quite sure whether to believe the boy or not. However, she did know before that Nigel was spreading rumors. Did that cause this? Rapunzel on the other hand, seemed to fully believe Varian. Eugene was neutral, not being there at the time to fully understand.

  


Rapunzel hugged the jaded teen slightly, “That’s..terrible. I’m so glad that you’re alright though.” Varian continued to look away from her gaze, not accepting the hug, but not shrugging it off either. He coughed, “That’s...not important. What are you guys even doing here?”

  


Rapunzel glanced at her companions with confusion before she answered the boy’s question, “Varian. You..you asked for help last time. I’m sorry that we couldn’t have helped you right then and there, but we’re..I’m here to make things right.” Her eyes shined with regret and fierce determination.

  


Varian had his gloved fists clenched. Rudiger climbed up his shoulder in the meanwhile, trying to calm the anxious alchemist down. It helped, but only slightly. “Well, I’m fine now. There’s..no need for you guys to be here. You already made up your minds. I need to take care of this on my own..”

  


~~**_After all, he wanted to make his father proud, didn’t he? That would be hard though, with the amber Varian caused. His fault._ ** ~~

  


Rapunzel frowned in worry, noticing the boy’s change in demeanor. “I need to know what’s going on. I’m sorry that I couldn’t come sooner, but I want to help. I always did.” She tried to catch the fourteen year old’s tired gaze, hoping to give him some comfort. How long had Varian holed himself up without sleep? The alchemist seemed ready to pass out any second.

  


Varian caught Rapunzel’s gaze, and seeing the clear pain and worry in her eyes, he knew she wasn’t lying. His retort died on his tongue. Did..did that mean he was at fault? But it couldn’t be so. She refused to help him, after he helped her so many times. He couldn’t be at fault. It wasn’t possible.

  


~~**_Yet, it was. He caused things to mess up, and didn’t even admit to it. No wonder something like this happened._ ** ~~

  


Rapunzel continued to question the boy. He needed to let this out. Cassandra was behind her, knowing why her friend was doing this, but never thought it would be, well, Rapunzel doing it. “When you came to the castle, you said something about your father needing help. Where is he? What happened?”

  


Varian flinched, taken aback by the line of questioning. He never expected this after the events of the blizzard. “Can we just..drop it? I really need you guys to leave. I have work to do”

  


Cassandra sighed, “Maybe we should leave. It doesn’t seem like he wants our help anyways.” Cassandra was suspicious of the kid. Always had been. He was nice, but Cass seldom trusted few people.

  


Eugene glanced over at Cassandra, “I know you have little to no heart, Cass, but look at the kid. He’s bandaged up, bruised, and looks like he’s running on at most an hour of sleep.”

  


Rapunzel smiled at Eugene. Cassandra huffed, “Wow, like I don’t have eyes. Work of genius right there.”

  


Varian, tired of the scrutinizing, glared. “Once again, I have important work to do. I don’t need any distractions.” Rudiger started to chatter worriedly, nudging his friend. Varian brushed it off.

  


Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. It seemed like she would have to continue the hard truth route. “Varian. We can help you with your work. You can talk to us, trust me.”

  


Varian shot an angry look at the blond female. “Last time I trusted you, I got sent out in a blizzard. Nearly got frostbite too.” Varian wasn’t sure why he was so irritated. It was probably because of the lack of sleep he had gotten, and bottled up emotions.

  


Rapunzel stopped for a second, shocked at the alchemist’s outburst. It was unfortunately true, but Varian had to know that she didn’t want that to happen. Right? “I didn’t...That wasn’t supposed to happen. Besides, I thought that we just got past this. We need to talk to get things done.”

  


The fourteen year old looked up sadly, but the protests of innocence still blazed in his eyes. Hidden behind that barrier, was gut wrenching guilt. “I...Of course we need to talk..but. You betrayed me! I have to take care of this myself now..”

  


Rapunzel gazed at Varian, determination blazing, “Varian. Look at me. This is important. We’re going to help you. You can’t do everything by yourself, no matter whose fault it is.” She gave a small smile to comfort the boy, “So, what’s going on?”

  


The lanky alchemist was defeated. His protests died on his tongue as he shrugged slightly, holding his arms to his chest. “I...I messed up. Big time. Bigger than big time…” Tears pricked his eyes, but he wouldn’t dare let them fall.

  


Rapunzel faltered. She pulled up the chair on the ground, and motioned for Vraian to sit on it. It wasn’t good for him mentally, since he looked tired and ready to pass out, and physically, since his ankle was still hurt and swollen. “What do you mean?” She asked gently.

  


Varian continued to look down, fidgeting with his gloves. He stayed silent for a moment or two before speaking up, “The black rocks...they..I was tampering with them. I shouldn’t have. If I hadn’t, then maybe..” Varian felt the tears prick at his eyes painfully yet again, and wiped his eyes on his shoulder discreetly.

  


Eugene looked at the boy, and felt a pang in his heart. The excited boy who looked up to him as an adventurer, now sat in front of him like a veteran out of a war. It was sad, to say the least. The once over excited and knowledgeable teen seemed lost in guilt.

  


Rapunzel gave small and comforting smile to the struggling teen, “It’s going to be alright..it’ll be better once you get it all out of your system.” 

  


The alchemist looked down and nodded solemnly. “I..um. I was working on a..a chemical compound. I wanted those..the rocks gone like you couldn’t have imagined. My..my village was going to have to evacuate otherwise. So..my father..he..he caught me..and..I’m such an idiot..” The boy started to sniffle, bringing his gloved hands up to his eyes, trying to block away the tears.

  


Rapunzel opened her mouth to try and comfort the boy yet again, but he continued on. “So..I..um. I tried to explain, right? And I must’ve..must’ve spilled some of the solution onto the rocks.” Varian wiped his eyes again, nervously glancing at the large object in the room that was hidden by tarps.

  


Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows and nodded, looking at Raps once again. Rapunzel just continued to stare at the boy solemnly, knowing that if she interrupted him now, he wouldn’t talk about this again. That was a chance they couldn’t take.

  


Varian went on, one shaky breath after another, “It was..it was going to..the rocks were..expanding due to the solution...and my dad..he..he pushed me out of the way.” He finally looked up at Rapunzel, eyes shining with unshed tears and guilt.

  


Rapunzel took that moment to hug the poor alchemist, knowing that he needed consolation. Varian felt the tears spill, but he needed to get through this, “And..and I went to you guys for help..but you..you didn’t!! When..when I came back, it was too late..” The boy began to sob, and Rapunzel looked at him, and then at the thing covered with the tarps. That’s what it was, wasn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. Weak ending, I know. Hopefully you enjoyed it though. I'm heading to bed-


End file.
